Just Back From… Antarctica with Sophie Barber

Where have you been?
Buenos Aires, Ushuaia and Antarctica.

Have you been before?
Only to Buenos Aires.

How did you get there?
I flew with British Airways to Buenos Aires, spent 1 night in Buenos Aires and then flew with Aerolineas Argentinas to Ushuaia for 3 nights. Then I boarded the Plancius boat to Antarctica – it takes 2 days to cross the Drake Passage and reach Antarctica. I then spent 4 days in Antarctica before returning across the Drake Passage for 2 days.

How long were you there?
1 day Buenos Aires; 3 days Ushuaia; 10 days Antarctica.

General route?
Buenos Aires – Ushuaia – Antarctica.

Which was your favourite…
Place: Antarctica!! One of my favourite places is the Lemaire Channel which is beautifully scenic in itself; however, the second time we passed through the channel we were surrounded by about 30 whales of 3 different species – minke, humpback and orca. It was incredible!

Hotel: Legado Mitico in Buenos Aires. The perfect boutique hotel for someone looking for classic elegance in a home-from-home setting.

Excursion: Trekking and canoeing in Ushuaia.

Appeals to which type of traveller?
Someone with a sense of adventure who wants to explore wild, remote destinations.

What did you pack?
On a typical excursion in Antarctica, I wore: thermal leggings, walking trousers, ski pants, 3 pairs of socks, rubber boots, a t-shirt, a thermal long-sleeve top, fleece, padded waterproof/windproof jacket, inner and outer gloves, a buff, hat and sunglasses.

Room for improvement?
No!

How would you summarise your trip in a sentence?
A once in a lifetime trip and one that I feel honoured to have experienced.

Any top tips?
In the cold weather, camera batteries drain much quicker so make sure you have lots of spares…as well as spare memory cards for all the photos you will take.

Feeling inspired? View our range of Antarctica holidays here.